Are you a brand looking to grow on social media? If you are, there are some common mistakes you should know to avoid to keep your brand growing. In order to make your company stand out, you should stay original and make your posts innovative.

Social media can be tricky to maneuver to find the right audience at first, but once you establish your brand you will be able to grow quickly. Marketing on social media can really boost your brand and generate more exposure.

Keep reading this post to learn what mistakes you need to avoid:

Not Using Original Visuals

Images are very important on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. You should not be relying on other users’ visuals to keep your page running. In order to be seen as a creative and trustworthy brand, you need to curate your own visuals for your page.

Rather than recycling content that is already there, creating new content adds to the social world. It also gives you the opportunity to make something that will be reposted by followers which will increase the traffic to your page.

Simple posts such as holiday posts, office updates and even quotes from members of the company are original and give life to your page. Personalizing your posts will make your brand seem more personable and give your followers something new to look at.

You Only Use One Type of Image

When creating your brand, it is important to stick with a “theme” or style on your page. You want people to be able to tell that the content is yours before they even see who posted it. Similar to an Apple commercial where they don’t mention the product, we know it’s from Apple because their style is so individualized.

Sticking with the same type of image can cause your brand to seem dull. Your audience wants to see diverse content. It keeps your page interesting.

You want anyone scrolling through your feed to feel like they are getting well-rounded content that represents your company. There are so many different types of graphics you can post and they all have different benefits.

Failing to Engage With Your Audience Regularly

One of the most important things to do when building your brand on social media is interacting with your audience on a regular basis. If you do not recognize your consumers they will not feel a connection to your brand and eventually will unfollow you.

Snappa says that you should see social media as a relationship-building tool more so than a direct marketing tool, and you should do so 80% of the time. Respond to comments promptly and notice who is constantly liking and commenting on your posts.

If your response time is lacking, people will assume similar characteristics of your customer service. Don’t lose sales because of your lack of engagement! Stay active on your pages and show your dedication to consumers and followers.

Not Creating a Content Calendar

Social media requires consistent posting and upkeep. Content calendars are a great method to schedule your posts at least two weeks in advance so you have pictures and captions ready to go when it’s time to post.

Your social media strategy should be strategic and methodical. This means sitting down and determining what you want your viewers to get from each post and how often you want to send that message.

Content calendars are made to make your life easier so you don’t have to stress about what you’re going to post on the day of. They are also built to be flexible if something pops up or needs to be moved around.

Not Curating User-Generated Content

User-generated content is content in which the user creates and posts, whether it’s text, video or image rather than the brand creating and posting it. The purpose of user-generated content is to cater your brand toward your audience.

In order to generate that community and engagement, your brand needs to be invested in your followers. By encouraging your followers to post their own content, your brand can showcase the talent of your followers.

This is a great way to build up your brand. Without user-generated content, users lose interest and feel as though they are being ignored. Make your page about your followers in order to continue growing.